


Beauty and the Beast

by TheArgentWolf



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-31
Updated: 2015-01-24
Packaged: 2017-12-22 00:15:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/906641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheArgentWolf/pseuds/TheArgentWolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the death of most of the Hale pack, the treaty between the hunters and werewolves is wearing thin. The threat of an all-out war can only be stopped by one thing: If the Argents can provide a bargaining tool to renegotiate the terms of the treaty. What if Allison was that bargaining tool?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In this story, the Hale fire happened in the present day, though Scott and the other werewolves were still turned and involved in the pack. At the moment, all Argents are alive.

“Allison, go to your room.” It was the first thing her dad said to her as he walked into the house that evening. She’d wondered where he was – dinner had just been her and her mom, and now she was sitting on the couch, doing some homework before bed. Trailing in behind her were her aunt and grandfather, her aunt sweaty and a little tousled.

“Hey dad, I was just finishing my homework, I’m gonna head to bed in a minute.” She said, glancing down at her work book where some algebra was scribbled, alongside her calculations. Before she could even pick her pencil up again, Chris’ shadow covered over her, and her book was slammed shut. Frowning, she looked up at him, but there was an expression of anger on his face she hadn’t seen before – certainly not one that was ever shown to her.

“ _Now_ , Allison. Do as I tell you. Go to your room.” Sighing, she looked over at Victoria.

“Mom?”

“Allison just do it!” She snapped, moving over and picking up the homework, and pulling her daughter up by her arm. Allison huffed, and took the homework from her, slowly making her way up the stairs. Halfway up, she glanced down again, smiling briefly at her aunt.

“Hey Kate.”

“Allison!” Victoria snapped, and Allison sighed, going the rest of the way up the stairs. “And shut your door!” A second later the door banged shut in annoyance.

Allison sat in her room, her head against the door as she tried to listen in on the arguments going on downstairs - they'd been getting worse the past few days, always sending her to her room without explanation, always she'd hear raised voices. There was a smell of charcoal in the air this evening, and she couldn't pinpoint if she'd imagined it or not. Her parents were arms dealers - had something gone wrong? Was some criminal threatening them? Every time she asked a question, her parents would shuffle her away with false platitudes, her grandfather would stroke her hair and tell her everything was going to work out, and her aunt? Her aunt would just smile at her, a smile that seemed to hide something. And it was through her aunt Kate's smile, Allison had an idea that there was plenty that was being kept from her.

They'd come to Beacon Hills a few months earlier, and gradually it felt like, her family built up around them. First her aunt had come to stay with them, and then her grandfather had shown up only a few short weeks later - both claiming they wanted to catch up with the family, and yet at meal times, the family were still all spread out - Allison couldn't remember a time in the past few months, maybe since her birthday, that the whole family had sat down together. And even then as soon as the candles were blown out, her grandfather and Kate had left to handle some business in town, not coming back until the early hours of the morning.

When she heard a glass break, Allison finally got the courage to open her door, and creep to the top of the stairs. Her family was now at least in earshot, even if she couldn't see what was going on.

"-- bit extreme, Chris. Wasn't that the crystalwear I got you for your wedding?"

"You should be lucky it was just the glass I broke and not your face." Chris muttered. "Tell me Kate, what exactly told you it was a good idea?"

"What, killing the pack wasn't a good idea? Forgive me, but I think it was a pretty brilliant one. In case you hadn’t noticed, they’re kind of monsters."

"We had a treaty with Talia for a reason, Kate! No fighting, no violence. Their kind stay away from human blood, and we don't spill any of theirs. In case _you_ haven’t noticed, we have the Code for a reason."

"Chris, think about what you're saying. Hunters refusing to hunt their prey? Just because they say they aren't doing something, doesn't mean they aren't. You shouldn't be so naive to think that a werewolf will ever tell you the truth." It was her grandfather’s voice echoing through the room this time. “While I agree, it’s unfortunate, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s one less thing for us to worry about, right?”

"Enough!" Snapped Victoria, slamming something down on a table which made even Allison jump. Her voice was filled with ice, and she paused, obviously waiting until she had everyone's attention. "Chris, did you find out the damage? Assess the situation?" There was another long pause, and Allison wondered if she'd missed something.

"Thanks to Kate... The majority of the pack succumbed to their injuries immediately. Her children were taken into hospital with smoke inhalation. Cora was announced dead on arrival, Laura some hours later. Talia isn't thought to have long left, but Derek seems to be recovering. He was outside when it happened."

"And the Alphahood?" Asked Gerard.

"With no female family members to pass onto, we can assume it'll go directly to Derek."

"Then what is the problem?" Huffed Kate. "The packs gone, the Alpha will be dead soon, the treaty is gone, no backlash. We can just carry on as if none of this happened."

"The Hales have plenty of powerful allies, Kate, and if you'd listened to me when I explained the treaty in the first place, you'd have understood. Talia was the powerful influence she was for a reason, and death isn’t going to stop those who were loyal to her. If we break it, they'll be after us, and do you really want to be dealing single-handedly with the surrounding packs?" Chris sighed, and Allison was able to glance at him as he paced back and forth.

"There is, of course, one way..."Said Gerard. “The treaty as it is may not stand, but if there is some bargaining involved…”

"Don't." Snapped Chris. "You are not putting my family in the firing line for something your daughter did, Gerard. That isn't happening. She stays out of this. That was the whole point in the treaty."

"And there was me thinking it was for the good of everyone in the town, not just the good of Allison." Kate said, mockingly. "It's not like you'll let me tell her which of her little friends at school are involved, who exactly Talia inducted a few months ago..."

"You've had my answer, this meeting is ajourned." Snapped Chris, and quickly Allison got to her feet, backing away from the top of the stairs. She barely made it to her room when she heard footsteps clomping up the stairs, and she closed her eyes, faking sleep.

"Kiddo, you asleep?" Kate's voice came through the darkness, and Allison pretended to stir, turning on her side to face her. Kate’s foldaway bed was positioned on the opposite side of the room, the Argents only having one spare room, which was given to Gerard when he arrived. Since then, Kate and Allison had been sharing a room. Which of course, Allison loved – it was like having a sister.

“Hey Kate.” She said softly. Despite the darkness, the moonlight shining through the window allowed her to see her in shades of grey, and closer now she could see the dirt that clung to her face. The smell of charcoal was even stronger now, and if what she had heard was to be believed, it was because Kate had done something awful. But what _was_ a pack? “What’s going on?”

“Gotta ask your dad about that.” She shrugged, stepping away and slowly stripping out of her clothes. “Listen, some things happened tonight, I figure I should tell you what I heard before you get to school tomorrow.” _Heard, or did yourself?_ – the words were on Allison’s tongue, but she swallowed them down.

“Like what?” She asked, sitting up slightly.

“There’s a girl in your school, she must be in your class… Cora Hale?” Allison nodded. “There was an accident at her house tonight, the whole place was set on fire. She didn’t make it.”

“…Oh.” Allison tried to fake her surprise, and cleared her throat. “Um… just her?”

“Her whole family. Apart from her brother, but… Who knows? Kid might not have long to go either.” Kate was in her pajamas now, and she crouched next to Allison’s bed, smiling tiredly. “Just thought you should know.”

“Do they know what caused it? The fire?”

“Like I said, sweetie – just one of those accidents.” Kate quickly turned away from the bed, and moved over to her own. “You know – you’re getting so big these days.” Allison rolled her eyes, and managed to smile.

“I’m seventeen, Kate, not seven.”

“I know, I know, just….” Kate paused, and lay down. “I reckon you’re a lot stronger than your dad seems to think.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m tired, Allison.” Kate sighed, turning away from her niece. “Just try and get some sleep. Night, kid.”

* * *

 

_I should’ve been in that house._

It’s the only thing Derek could think about as he lay in his hospital bed. The majority of his burns were second degree, the third degree ones from trying to help his family had already healed to the point that by the time he got to the hospital, the doctors didn’t know they were there at all. That was back when he thought he’d done a good job – that his immediate family were all safe. But the second he heard that Cora was dead, the healing slowed down, and then hearing Laura’s name later? The healing stopped altogether. He’d spent most of the night in and out of sleep, battling with nightmares, but when the doctor came in, explaining they were moving his bed so that he could be closer to his mother, he’d forced himself to stay awake – she needed him, even if she was probably too proud to admit it.

“My beautiful boy…” She muttered, turning her head towards him. The burns on her were so much worse, but Derek could see the fight dying in her eyes.

“Mom, you’re gonna be okay.” He said, once the two of them were left on their own.

“Derek, listen to me. I’m not going to be okay.” Her voice was firm, yet tired. Derek shook his head.

“You are, you just need to start healing, and then—“

“Derek, you listen to me, because I don’t know how long I have left. But soon baby, you’re gonna feel stronger. You’re gonna be the Alpha.”

“Momma, no.” He closed his eyes, and swallowed. “That’s not meant to be me. It was always gonna be… Laura. I’m not the Alpha, I can’t _be_ the Alpha.”

“You can, and you will, for my sake, for your sister’s sake. You’re gonna do us both proud. But you _have_ to listen to me now, Derek.”

“Mom—“

“Now.” Her eyes flashed a cloudy red, and still as the beta, he fell silent. “The hunters have broken their treaty. They’ll come to you to renegotiate the terms. You have to have a discussion with them, and come to a decision.”

“My decision will be war.” His eyes narrowed. “They spilled our blood, mom. They decimated us.”

“ _They_ didn’t, _she_ did. Which is why as the Hale Alpha, you are the only one that can maintain peace. War would fill the town with wolves, and hunters, and what about the rest of the town? Where would they be left other than fearing their lives, fearing werewolves even more?” She closed her eyes. “You must keep the peace. The other packs will follow your lead, because they know you’re my son.”

“And if they do it again?” He asked, and there was silence, and if Derek didn’t hear her heartbeat, he would’ve thought that he’d lost her. She sighed, and opened her eyes again.

“Then make sure you have enough leverage that they won’t.” Derek nodded, closing his eyes. It was as he did he heard the gentle thump of her heartbeat weakening, and he teared up.

“Momma, don’t go.” He muttered, looking over at her, and reaching a hand out, trying to take the pain, but he didn’t have it in him. Her hand went limp in his own, and then the room filled with silence. At the same moment, Derek felt a rush through his body, a strength forcing himself to heal, even a little bit faster than he’d been allowing. Catching his eyes in the metal bar running alongside his bed, he saw a flash of red, before they faded to their natural colour once again. Curling onto his side, Derek let out a heart-shattering howl into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

As her dad pulled up outside the school, he faltered a little, and Allison saw his hand hovering above the button to unlock the door. He said nothing, but he finally looked at her. They hadn’t spoke since the night before, and since offering to drive her to school, he hadn’t spoke much at all. There was no anger, but Allison couldn’t read the expression on his face.

“Your Aunt Kate told me you heard the news.” He said, gravely. Allison glanced over at the school, before she nodded.

“About Cora, yeah.” She said, looking at him. “Why?”

“I know you two weren’t close, but—“

“We weren’t.” She shook her head, biting her lip. “She was Scott’s friend, that’s all. I didn’t really have anything to do with her. She didn’t really hang out with the two of us much. I don’t think she really likes Lydia all that much.” She tried the door again, and sighed, looking over at her dad at last. “You have to let me go, sometime. I’m fine. I’m not upset.”

“You call me if you need anything, understand? Anything at all.” Allison smiled, and kissed him on the cheek as she heard the click of the door lock.

“I know. I love you too.” She teased, grabbing her bag from the floor, and heading inside.

\--

Instantly, the mood was obvious. The Hale family had all gone to Beacon Hills High at one point or another, Cora was just another in a long line, so be it students or teachers, there was a sombre mood around everyone. Her locker was adorned with messages of support for her brother, of memorials to her, and that was where she finally found Scott. He was staring at a note, blankly, as though he’d already read it ten times over, and the words still didn’t make sense to him. As Allison put a hand on his shoulder he jumped, as if disturbed from a dream, before turning to look at her.

“Hey.” She said softly, linking her fingers in his. “It’ll be okay.”

“They’re dead.” His voice was hoarse, and it only made Allison hold onto his hand tighter.

“My dad said Derek’s still alive.” She offered, but Scott just looked back at the memorial.

“They all act like they knew her, and they didn’t. They didn’t know her at all.” There was a bitterness in Scott’s tone, and it twisted in Allison’s stomach – she’d never seen him like this before.

“They’re all just sad it happened. They don’t mean anything by it.” Allison wondered briefly if she should add something. An empty platitude, an apology, since from what she overheard, it was directly her family’s fault that this happened. Instead, she rubbed Scott’s back in circles.

“She was like my little sister.” Scott carried on talking, as if he hadn’t heard Allison, and she bit her lip, swallowing.

“I know Sc—“ She was cut off as Isaac came out of seemingly nowhere, wrapping his arms around Scott protectively, and almost glaring at Allison. The two had never got along, she didn’t know why, but Isaac had made it clear plenty of times that Scott was better off without her. And while Scott would normally push it away, and suggest the two got along, this time he said nothing.

“Come on… We need to get to class.” Isaac said gently, and Scott nodded, standing up. Isaac glared at Allison again, before leading Scott off in the opposite direction, leaving Allison standing at the memorial awkwardly, with what felt like no purpose. The bell ringing for the start of class was the only thing to shake her out of her hesitation, and she hurried off to French class.

\--

Derek had been visited by plenty of people that day. The doctor first thing in the morning, deeming his recovery as a miracle, as he’d never seen anyone healing so quickly from second degree burns before, with Derek reminding him flatly that if it was such a miracle, his family would be alive with him, which caused the doctor to leave quickly afterwards. Then came the priest, hoping to find him solace, and if Derek could do it without getting arrested, he would’ve torn the man’s throat out. Then came the grief counsellor, and Derek listened to her blankly, just staring at the wall, and nodding at the appropriate moments. She talked about how it must be a great burden to carry, and that his family would want him to open up to someone, even if it wasn’t her. The thought made him laugh bitterly, and he looked out the corner of his eye as she scribbled something frantically down on her notepad, then slid his eyes back to the wall. She stayed another ten minutes until she left, making him promise to call to make some appointments with her when he left the hospital, and he made a promise to himself to coincidentally lose the number the second he got out of this hell hole. Turning on his side, away from the door, he just stared, running through all the thoughts in his head. He was the Alpha. He was the leader. There were the teenagers in the pack, those not strictly family but as good as  - they needed him to lead them. He hadn’t seen any of the four of them yet, and he wondered briefly if they even cared enough to show up.

There was a knock at the door, and he listened as it creaked open, sighing as he waited for it to be another doctor or nurse checking his stats, or maybe this time it would be the first doctor, returning to show his med students the miracle healing man with the dead family.

“Hello, Derek.” His blood ran cold at the voice, and he didn’t even try and turn around.

“Get the hell out of here before I do something I won’t regret.” He felt his claws poking holes into the bed sheets even as he lay there, every muscle in his body tense. “Come to finish the job your daughter screwed up?”

“Of course, I’m sorry for what Kate did to your family. There’s a treaty after all, why would we ever break it?” Gerard moved to the seat facing Derek, and chuckled to himself. “My, what a mess you’ve gotten yourself into here.”

“I’m healing.” He said dryly, finally looking at the man, his eyes blazing red. “I know why you’re here, and what you want. What are your terms?”

“And here was me expecting to have to talk you around to the subject of peace.”

“My mother taught me plenty before she was murdered, and that doesn’t answer my question.” Derek spoke sternly, sitting up at last. “I want solid proof that you won’t do this again, and based on past experience? I don’t feel like taking your word for it, so you’d better be offering me something a little better.”

“Then how about this – your blood, for mine. Perhaps the idea’s a little… medieval, some may think. But so long as you hold in your hands the life of something precious to the Argents… Well, naturally we wouldn’t dream of putting down any dogs.” The phrasing made Derek glare, but Gerard simple smiled, unaffected.

“And what? I’m supposed to let a member of your family treat my home like a hotel and just come and go when they please?”

“Whatever you want.” He lifted his hands in a shrug, making himself comfortable in his chair. “The balls completely in your court.” Derek glared at him, that he wasn’t tearing the man to shreds right now, but considered the words. He’d promised his mom he’d do this. The least he could do would be get something beneficial out of the renegotiating.

“Kate.” Said Derek carefully, not liking to say her name. It felt like dirt in his mouth, after everything. After… She didn’t want to think about her again, not like that. “My mother always told me that just as we are-…were, the Argents are a matriarchy.” He narrowed his eyes. “You hand over your leader, after she killed mine, and then we’ll have a deal.”

“… Of course, it’s something that needs some thinking about.” Gerard didn’t seem surprised by the suggestion though, which only made Derek more suspicious. Was he so twisted that he’d hand over his own daughter to save his own skin?

“You decide now – Kate, or this doesn’t happen.”

“As you said, Derek – my family is a matriarchy. Despite the passing of my dear wife… It still is something that stands. Far be it for me to make the decision.”

“You’re a liar.” Derek snapped, glaring. “Do you think I’m an idiot? I know there’s just as much blood on your hands as anyone else in your family – I can practically smell it on you.” Gerard didn’t answer, but stood up, moving to the door.

“You will have an Argent in your custody by the end of the week. Is that satisfactory?”

“The only thing satisfactory right now, is you getting out of my room before I rip your throat out.” Derek snarled. Calmly, Gerard nodded once, leaving the room.

\--

It had been a stressful, and pretty much depressing day at school. During their first class, news spread about Cora, something that made Allison keep her head down and focus on her work, unless she was looking over at Scott to make sure he was okay, but he never looked up, talking in hushed tones with Isaac, and Allison didn’t try and step in again, after what had happened before. She and Scott had tried dating, but they’d drifted apart, but she was still his friend. Hopefully some other time she’d be able to catch him away from Isaac, but it wasn’t going to happen today.

Getting a ride home with Lydia, as her dad hadn’t answered her calls to say whether he was picking her up or not, as she opened the door, she stepped into the middle of an argument.

“You had no right whatsoever to go behind my back and make that decision, Gerard.” Chris spat at his father, glaring.

“Did you have any other suggestions for how to solve our little issue, Christopher? The man is angry, this was his suggestion, if that was what he asked for, there was no changing his mind. All we can do now is plan for the difficulties we’ll have ahead.” Pretending he hadn’t heard Allison enter the room, Gerard finally turned to her, and moved to kiss her on the head. “Sweetheart, how was school?”

“Allison, go to your room, your mom’s up there waiting for you.” Chris spoke, but he never took his eyes off Gerard, and Allison stared at him.

“Dad? What’s going on?”

“Allison, please.” Chris moved over to her, and held her hands. There were some tears in his eyes as he finally looked at her, and he lifted her hands to his lips, kissing them. “Just go and find your mom. I have things I need to sort out.” Allison stared at him, biting her lip, before she nodded, hesitantly, moving away.

\--

As she stepped into her room, it was a confusing sight. To one side, there were two duffle bags, looking like they were already packed, and Allison recognised them as Kate’s. Was she leaving? But what confused her more was that her mother was standing in front of her wardrobe, throwing her things into a large suitcase.

“Mom? What’s happening?” Allison hesitated to move forward, putting a hand on Victoria’s arm, but she pushed it away. “Mom! What’s going on? Are we moving?! Is that why dad’s so upset?”

“We’re not moving, Allison, you are.” She didn’t look at her, just threw more of her clothes haphazardly into the suitcase, and Allison wanted to point out they were going to crease and wrinkle, but she quickly decided that now was not the time.

“Me? But mom, I didn’t do anything!”

“You’re moving away with your Aunt Kate for a few months. When things settle down here, if they settle down here, then you’ll come back, and if not, I’m sure Kate will do a perfectly good job of keeping you out of trouble.” Her mother’s tone was clipped and tense, and Allison knew that she didn’t believe what was being said. It was like she was reading from a script, and it made her uncomfortable.

“Mom, stop!” She snapped at last. “Is this about the fire?! About Cora?!”

“Allison!” Allison let out a nervous scream as her mother grabbed her wrist hard, holding her in place. “Don’t you **dare** talk about things you don’t understand. I am your mother, and you do not question me if you know what’s good for you? Do you understand?”

“Ye—“

“Say it!”

“Yes, I understand!” Allison cried out, tears in her eyes. Exhaling, Victoria let go of her wrist, and turned back to the closet.

“Now sit on the bed – I’m nearly done, and your aunt’ll be getting back soon. You’ll be leaving immediately.”


	3. Chapter 3

"Dad, please, just tell me what's going on, we can work something out, I don't have to leave, please don't make me leave..." She muttered as she stood near the back of the car - her dad was loading the last of her and Kate's bags into the trunk, and Allison looked down, realising she hadn't had a chance to change. How far were they going? How long would she have to wear them for? What was she going to do about school, why couldn't she at least say goodbye to Scott and Lydia before she was sent away?

"Allison..." He sighed, and after closing the trunk, he cupped her face. "I'll explain in time, I swear. But right now, I really need you to just listen to what we're telling you to do, and know it's for your own good. Things are happening in town, and it just makes more sense for you to leave with Kate."

"Is this about the fire? What about you? Will you get hurt?"

"C'mon kiddo, we've gotta get moving, don’t wanna still be in the state at sunrise.” Kate shrugged, putting a comforting arm around Allison, and she frowned, falling into it, and closing her eyes. Kate was like a sister to her, she always had been, and right now, above anyone else, she had to put her trust in her. That Kate’d get her through this. “You got the forged documents?” She asked, looking up at Chris.

“Forged—“ Allison began, but Chris glanced at her.

“Yeah. They’re in your bag. Shouldn’t have any problems with them, but if you do… Just call me, alright? Call me as soon as you’re somewhere safe, just… fuck, Kate…”

“You know we can’t call in case the phones get traced. We’ll get disposable phones and text you when we can. We’ve got this, big brother, alright?” Chris didn’t answer her, instead he moved in to hug Allison again. Allison held onto him tightly, wanting to tell him how she didn't want to go, but she could see this was hard enough on him as it was.

“You look after yourself, sweetheart. We love you so much.”

“Love you too, dad. Don't worry about me.” Allison smiled, trying not to cry in case it’d make him cry, and she got in the car, rolling down the window to link fingers with him. She didn’t let go until the car started rolling out of the driveway, being forced to pull her hand back inside, and she turned and watched as her dad got smaller and smaller in the window. She wiped her eyes as a few tears fell, and Kate pretended not to notice them.

 

“This is because of the fire, isn’t it?” Allison asks when they stop, somewhere near the outskirts of town. She told Kate she hadn’t eaten since lunch time, so she’d agreed to pull over and get some drive-thru takeout instead. Kate didn’t answer at first, drumming her fingers on the wheel. “You set the fire, and you’re… Running from the police? Right?”

“I had to do it, Allison.” She said, not looking at her at first. “You don’t understand what that family was like, what they were capable of.”

“Cora was Scott’s friend! She was innocent! Why the hell have I got to run away with you when you’re the one that murdered people!"

“I didn’t murder people, I murdered animals.” Kate’s lips tilted upwards, slightly, shaking her head. “Wow… twenty minutes away from your dad, and already I’m telling you stuff he didn’t want you to know. But you need to know. I said you were getting so big, and I know you can handle knowing this.” Allison frowned, confused, and Kate distracted herself by taking a fry from the bottom of the bag. “Werewolves, Allison. Actual, real-life, werewolves.” She passed the bag to her niece, who just stared at her.

“… Kate, are you sure you’re okay? That we shouldn’t… Take you to the hospital or something…”

“I know you think I’m crazy, but it’s true. The Hales are… were a pack of werewolves. And our family deal with them. We have for centuries… didn’t you ever wonder about your family history? We have a legacy to uphold.” She paused, and looked down. “Well… you have a legacy to uphold. Don’t spread it around, but… I fucked up.”

“… What do you mean?” Allison frowned, seeing as Kate wiped at her eye – she’d never seen her cry before, and it was a little frightening. How bad could these people be if they could make her aunt cry?

“I didn’t…. know anything about the family, how influential they were. I didn’t know they had a treaty with us, that we promised not to hurt them… I thought they were dangerous, and I couldn't let them attack or turn anyone, there'd already been rumours about them turning teenagers in town without their consent. And now they’re out for blood. My blood. Which is why I lied to your dad… You’re the one moving away, not me. I don’t want to leave you, especially if you have to fend for yourself, but… Allison, he wants me. He wants me, and he’s going to kill me for what I did.”

“Who wants you?”

“Derek Hale...” Kate let out a sob, and it was the most terrifying thing Allison had ever seen. “What you need… need to know about our family… The women are the leaders. The decision-makers. My mother was, and when I was old enough, it was passed onto me. I don't have any daughters, any children at all really to pass it onto... so it goes to you. And Derek… he knows without a leader the family are that much weaker, that the men don't know how to lead. He takes me, he’ll be satisfied. He kills me, and the blood debt will be paid. But me and Gerard… We were scared. What if he gets hungry on his power, and tries to hunt you down, kill you too so there’s no question of there being another leader? We couldn’t let that happen, we couldn’t see you hurt, couldn't see the Argent legacy die with us. So we thought if we got you out of town… You’d be safe. You could live.” She cupped Allison’s face, sadly. “You have always been my special girl, Allison. And you're not a girl any more, you're a woman. All I want to do is keep you safe. And if I have to die to make sure that happens…” She sniffed and wiped her eye, glancing at the time. “Derek’ll be expecting me. We have to go.”

"Go where?"

"The woods." She sighed, closing her eyes. "To the Hale house."

 

The drive was a silent one, aside from Kate giving what information she could about werewolves, a brief overview should Allison run into any while she was alone. She went on to explain that Derek was still living in the shell of the Hale house. It was empty, everything having gone up in the fire, but reminded her that he was an animal – this was his territory, he wouldn’t go anywhere else. As they pulled up outside the charred building, Allison stared at it, amazed. In some ways, in the moonlight, it looked hauntingly beautiful as much as it looked horrific. The windows were gaping holes into furniture-less rooms. How anyone could live here, especially this deep into the woods, was beyond Allison’s comprehension, but she said nothing as the engine was finally switched off.

“Okay – here’s the plan.” Kate said, firmly, in a hushed voice, having explained to Allison of the extent of a werewolf’s hearing. “Once I’m inside, you get in the driver’s seat, and you floor the gas – got it? You get out of here as quick as you can – he’ll be too preoccupied with me to notice the car leaving… probably already have blood on his hands by then. But until then? You need to stay down, stay as low as you can, and relax, so he doesn’t know you’re here. Can you do that for me?” Allison nodded, shaking, and Kate kissed her forehead, brushing her hair back. “Good girl. Good, sweet girl. I love you so much, just remember that. I'm doing this for you.” And with that, Kate slipped out of the car, and Allison ducked her head down beneath the car door, doing as she was told. Outside, she heard muffled voices as Kate moved around the car, taking out her things.

 

“Kate.” Came a deeper voice, one sounding hurt, and she knew it must be Derek. “Can’t say I was expecting you to show.”

“I’m paying a debt, of course I would.” She didn’t sound as confident as Allison was used to, and she tensed up. “But you have to promise something, Derek – this debt is paid, and the family is left alone.”

“It’s what I agreed with your father. Though I’m sure you know all about that. Did he speak to you about the terms?”

“Not extensively. But I know what they’ll involve.” Her voice wavered, and Derek laughed, humourlessly.

“Don’t pretend you have feelings now. We both know what you’re capable of.” He paused. “Well? Are we just going to stand outside all night or am I actually going to get what I was promised.”

“I—“

 

“Stop it!” Allison snapped suddenly, jumping from the car, and running around to stand next to Kate. There were tears pouring down the younger Argent’s eyes, and she stared at Derek, her eyes wide, and afraid. “I’ll do it! Let Kate go, and I’ll do it, alright??” Derek glanced at her for a second, confused, then looked up at Kate, who was silent.

“You brought her with you?”

“We were… going to leave…” She stammered. “But it isn’t her you want, it’s me. Leave her out of this.”

“Kate, no!” Allison sobbed, hugging her tightly. “You said he wants women. Leaders. Let me lead and save you. Please.”

“I think the girls made her decision.” Derek said, blankly. “Get her things, then get out of here.” Kate stared at Allison a second longer, then up at Derek, and nodded. Allison glanced up at Derek, seeing a red tint in his eyes, and the smell of blood filled the air, Allison seeing it dripping from his hands, as his claws dug into his palm. Claws, she was sure, were going to be in her neck soon. Kate quickly threw the bags down, and put her own back into the car. She hugged Allison tightly before Derek finally approached, grabbing onto Allison’s upper arm, and pulling her towards him.

“Go.” He said, firmly, and Kate nodded, jumping in the car, and starting the engine. Given no chance to say goodbye, Derek kept his grip on Allison, picking up her bags with one hand, and dragging her inside with the other. Once in there, Allison heard the sound of the car growing quieter, and quieter.

* * *

A few miles out of town, Kate stopped at last, taking a deep breath, and pulling out her phone. It was the early hours of the morning, and she wasn’t surprised it took a while for anyone to answer it.

“Kate, this had better be you.” Said Gerard, angrily, and Kate smiled.

“The bait is dropped. Heading out of town now. They both bought it, hook, line and sinker.”

“Good girl, sweetheart.”

“Are you sure he won’t kill her?” Kate leant her elbow on her window. “He seemed pretty pissed.”

“If he does, then the blame will fall directly on you, not him - you'll be the cause of your niece's demise." He paused, considering his words. "He got the deal I made sure we agreed on, so long as his pack isn’t hurt, he won’t hurt us. Or at least, not until it’s too late for him to do anything.” Kate smiled, faintly. “Now go – get as far away from town as you can. I’ll tell Chris you called, that you’re both safe. And never call here again.”

“Got it.” Kate nodded, before hanging up the phone, throwing it out the window, and driving on.


	4. Chapter 4

Allison wasn't sure how long she'd been staring at the door, her heart beating fast in her chest, and a lump in her throat. But in that second, it'd made sense to her. To sacrifice herself for her Aunt. Kate had done so much for her, and looking as scared as she had, Allison knew that it was the right thing. Kate was safe. She just couldn't say the same about herself.

"Are you just going to stand and stare at the door all night?" Derek's voice was sharp and cold, and she jumped as she turned to face him, blinking back some tears. Alone in the house with him, Derek seemed even more intimidating. It wasn't that he was taller than her, or particularly of a large build, but all the same there was something menacing about him. Something that terrified her, and made her heart race even faster. He seemed to notice that, and chuckled, darkly.

"I-I..." Allison began, realising her throat was dry. Derek rolled his eyes, and moved into another room. Allison wasn't sure if she was supposed to follow him or not, but seconds later he returned, throwing a bottle of water in her direction. It landed at her feet, and she looked at it, before crouching down, picking it up. Derek watched her curiously as she examined the bottle for a few minutes, shaking the liquid to assess it, before unscrewing the cap, and sniffing it. Unimpressed, he raised his eyebrows.

"What are you doing?" She looked up, almost afraid that she'd been caught doing something wrong, and she swallowed hard.

"What kind of... poison is it?" She muttered. Derek raised his eyebrows more, if possible, but humoured her.

"It's not alcoholic."

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean, Argent. Because it sounds to me like you're accusing me of threatening you."

"Well that's why I'm here, isn't it?" Allison backed away a few steps, still clutching onto her bottle. "I'm here so you can kill me. So you can--" She cried out as suddenly Derek darted forward, pinning her to the wall with his hand, gripping just tight enough to be uncomfortable, and she whimpered, tears building in her eyes. At the noise, he released the grip, and held her shoulders instead.

"If I wanted to kill you, I would've bit into your neck by now. I would've torn out the flesh, and then do you want to know what I'd do?" She didn't answer, but he leant his head in closer. "I'd take your body and set it on fire outside your family's house, so they can understand even an ounce of what it feels like." Pushing her back, he lowered his hands, picking up the water bottle, and shoving it back into her hands. "Take it. It's all your getting tonight. And follow me." Allison was still gasping for breath, but nodded, slowly following the werewolf out of the front room, and through an archway.

She found herself in a kitchen, or what looked like it used to be a kitchen. Scorched pots hung from a rack above a piece of wood, badly burnt and barely standing. There was the hum of a fridge, which looked to be one of the only things in the house that was still working, for some reason, and then nothing. Derek moved them past there, opening up a trap door in the floor at the entrance to the pantry, and leading her down the stairs situated there. It looked less burnt down here, almost as though the fire and the family had forgotten about it. Wine racks sat empty and dusty, and in the corner of the room there was a mattress, a sleeping bag thrown on top of it haphazardly, and that was it.

"This is your room when I don't need you." He explained, giving her room to move ahead of her. He knew she wouldn't run anywhere - it wasn't like there was anywhere she could go that he couldn't keep up with her. As she looked around, he took her bags, checking each item to make sure it wasn't concealing a weapon, or any kind of implement that could be a risk to the pack. His pack. It was still weird to say, let alone hear, but it was what it was. He'd already managed to acquire a generator for outside, enough power for the fridge so he could at least eat. And, he supposed begrudgingly, at least she could eat as well. Letting her starve to death was definitely against the terms of the agreement.

"What do you mean?" She asked quietly, returning to standing in front of him after she looked around - it was definitely empty despite the corner that had been furnished for her. It looked as though there was a wall that could've once lead somewhere else, but it had been blocked up - Allison wasn't sure by who, her own family, or by Derek.

"You're going to be my servant." It was maybe a childish decision, but what Allison did or didn't do wasn't the point of the agreement - the point was Derek would have something that the Argents needed at his disposal. Giving her a role at least demoralised her more, and meant Derek was getting something out of her other than keeping a roof over her head. "Anything I say, or ask, you'll do. I'm sure I've already explained clearly to you what will happen if that doesn't happen." His eyes flashed red again, knowing that it was something that scared her, and sure enough, he listened as he heart beat picked up again. "Glad we understand each other."

"But wait, I... That's not fair." Her voice shook, but she moved forward, shaking her head. "What about school, what about... what about my friends? Are you seriously telling me you're the only person I'll see ever again?"

"You were leaving the town anyway, apparently - the school won't be expecting you. And yes, I am the only person you'll see - me and the pack." Already she was irritating him, and he rolled his eyes. "You don't see your friends, you don't see your family. If I'm leaving the house, the door to the basement will be locked - I don't trust Argents. With good reason." Allison looked down at the floor, closing her eyes. She knew she should apologise. Not even for what her family did, but his loss in general. His entire family were gone - Allison couldn't even begin to imagine how that would feel. It was bad enough being kept away from them.

"Alright." She muttered at last, glancing up at him. Derek raised his eyebrow, surprised there wasn't more retailation, and nodded.  
"Rest. You've had a stressful evening." He shrugged, heading back up the steps, and sure enough, Allison heard the door slam, a lock sliding into position. The room pitch black and smelling faintly of charcoal, she felt around until she found the mattress, pulling the sleeping bag open enough for her to slip inside. Despite the coldness of the cellar, the bag was surprisingly warm, and she clenched her eyes shut tightly, hoping that she'd wake up, and it would've all just been a dream.

But it didn't work like that. Allison was awoken early the next morning, Derek shaking her gently, letting her know it was breakfast. The limited amount of food and appliances available, all that was required was to pour his cereal, waiting until he was finished to ask if she was allowed some as well, which she ate quickly, not wanting to give him reason to be angry at her. The rest of the day was relatively routine - as damaged as the house was, Derek was still looking to salvage it, which meant the rooms needed to be assessed for damage, and cleaned as best they could be. It meant spending the day covered in soot, but she worked diligently and silently, wiping down the walls of what was once a guest bedroom - there were plenty of rooms she wasn't allowed in, thankfully Derek wanted to manage his siblings and his parent's rooms by himself.

Covered in soot and exhausted, Allison glanced out the window some hours later to see a car pulling up outside the house, and her eyes widened, recognising it almost instantly as Scott's. What was he doing here? She took a few steps back from the window, not wanting him to see she was there, and closing her eyes, she paced, impatiently, not wanting anyone to see her there.

Derek, meanwhile, had been sitting on the stairs, writing down a list of repairs that needed doing, ranging from the large scale to the small, when he heard the engine switch off, and nodded to himself, catching the familar scent of his pack. All four of them were there, which he appreciated. As newly turned as they all were, they seemed to have the pack mentality to want to spend time with their Alpha - even when they knew he wasn't the best company. Standing up, he opened the door just as they were about to knock.

"Hope you're not skipping school on my account." He said dryly, watching as they walked in. Erica rolled her eyes, and shrugged.

"I _wish_. But apparently, coming to see our favourite Alpha wasn't enough to get these guys out of class." She nudged Boyd with her shoulder, and walked through to the lounge area confidently, throwing herself down on a battered chaise lounge, in a way that amused Derek, reminding him of Laura, and the way she sat, always acting like she owned the place. It was no wonder that Talia had chosen her to bite.

"We can't stay too long, anyway - Boyd needs to get to work, I promised mom I wouldn't be out too long, and well... Isaac and Erica don't have a ride home." Scott shrugged, patting Derek on the back. "But... We didn't want to leave you on your own." Derek wanted to smile at them, to thank them, but trusting other people... It wasn't his strong suit right now. Even though they were pack, he didn't want them to think he needed them for anything. He was the Alpha, they should be looking to him.

"I'm not on my own, Scott, so don't worry about that. In fact, I was hoping you'd come over today, I had something to show you all." Derek inwardly smirked - as obedient and quiet as the Argent girl had been, it didn't mean he didn't still want to make her suffer - her misery, by proxy, affected her family.

"Is it a sandwich? I'm starving." Asked Isaac, rolling his eyes, and Derek actually was able to chuckle at that.

"We'll see." He turned towards the stairs, calling up them, making sure the other four heard clearly. "Allison! Down here now, please."

"Allison?" Scott frowned, confused, but Derek didn't answer him, just looked up the stairs. He heard her moving around, before hearing the creak of the stairs as she moved down them. Despite the black smudges on her face and clothes, a red blush could still be seen on her face, alongside trails of tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Derek..." She muttered, shaking her head, but once again, Derek ignored them.

"Allison here is my new servant." He explained, finally looking back at his pack. Boyd was managing to look disinterested, Isaac and Erica looked angry, whereas Scott had visibly taken a step back, clearly awkward. "Do you want to tell them why?"

"Please..." She whispered, shaking her head.

"Aw, go on _Allison_ , I bet we're dying to hear why the head bitch's best friend is doing her best Cinderella impression." Smirked Erica, folding her arms across her chest. Isaac chuckled, and both eyes were fixed on her.

"I--"

"Allison's family did all this." Derek finally said, motioning to the house, and the smug look in Erica and Isaac's faces disappeared, replaced with contempt.

"She killed Cora?" Isaac said, his eyes flashing amber.

"No! I didn't! Kate did it, I had nothing to do with this! It isn't my fault!" Allison was backing away, terrified of looking any of them in the eyes.

"I'm going to kill you!" Snapped Erica, moving forward to attack, but Derek grabbed hold of her arm, Erica letting out a scream as he twisted it behind her back, and Allison jumped, hearing a definite crack as a bone snapped. Hearing her cries, Boyd hurried over to Erica, holding her to him, black lines running up his arm as he squeezed her hand.

"Go and make Isaac a sandwich. I have to handle my pack." He said calmly, looking at Allison. Swallowing hard, she nodded, hurrying into the kitchen, wanting to at least get away from the looks of the others. It didn't make any sense - Scott was a werewolf? At least it made sense now, of why he took Cora's death so badly, but she didn't think it could be anything like that. Then again, 24 hours ago, she didn't even know werewolves existed.

Taking a deep breath, Allison continued with the job at hand, gathering up some chicken, bread, and mayonnaise to make something that resembled a sandwich. It didn't look all that appetising, but working with what limited supplies she had, it was the best she could do. Just as she was about to take it through to the others, she saw a shadow in the doorway, swallowing hard as Isaac himself blocked her exit.

"I... This is your sandwich." She offered up, holding the plate out to him. Isaac didn't move for a few moments, just staring at her, eyes blazing amber, before he moved closer. In one motion he had grabbed the plate, flinging it at the wall, and she jumped, hearing the shatter of cutlery.

"Did you know _that_ is the sound I heard every single night before I got turned." He spat, shoving her towards the wall, blocking her exit by placing his hands either side of her body. "My precious father would throw things at me, thinking he hit the jackpot if he hit me instead of the wall. And do you know what Talia did?"

"Isaac, I--"

"She killed him. She found out, she killed him, and she turned me. She gave me family, and **you** are just as responsible as the rest of your family for taking that away from me."

"I didn't _know_."

"And I don't care." He snarled, standing up straight at last. "Derek's protecting you and this little treaty now... But he'll get bored of you. He'll remember what your kind did to our kind, and he'll kill you. And I swear, I'll make sure I get a piece of you too." Seeing Isaac's claws, Allison's fight or flight reaction kicked in, and she quickly thrust her knee upwards into his groin, running out of the room, and towards the front door. Pulling it open, she just started running as she heard a voice behind her.

Derek had been talking to Boyd and Scott, privately, when he heard the commotion, and he ran to the door, just as he saw the back of Allison turning towards a line of trees, and he cursed under his breath.

"Scott, I want Isaac and Erica the hell away from this house until they can learn to control their anger. Get them home." Scott nodded, and pulled out his keys.

"Where are you going?" Derek turned back to him, and huffed, frustrated.

"Looks like I have a hunter to catch." Without another word, he ran, chasing after the girl's scent - though if she got herself killed, he wouldn't exactly be sad about it.


	5. Chapter 5

Allison felt a burn in her lungs from how fast she was running, but she was too scared to slow down, or stop - just in case Derek was behind her. She knew that a werewolf could outrun her any day, but it didn't mean that she didn't want to try. Seeing the look on Isaac's face, and knowing how serious he was about killing her, it had been enough to shake her from the submissiveness that she thought she needed to keep Kate safe. Looking around her, none of the trees looked familiar, and even though she'd hoped she would be able to follow the tire tracks left by Kate's car, she'd taken a wrong turn somewhere, and now rather than running towards the road, she was sure she was running deeper into the woods. At least, if she was far enough away, there was a possibility that Derek wouldn't be able to track her down.

  
Thoughts fleeted through her mind as she moved, thoughts of Scott and the others, and how she should've known there was something bigger going on that made them the way they are. The way the four of them, when they were together, always left other people out, whispering between each other and making in-jokes. Lydia had told her time and time again that it was just freaks finding other freaks, comparing them to a pack of hyenas, but even as Allison watched them, how protective they were of each other, she shook herself that she should've known that something was wrong.

Lost in her thoughts, she was distracted enough that she didn't realise she was caught in a trap until the rope tightened around her ankle, and she screamed as she was lifted up into the air, upside down. Her breath caught in her throat, she sobbed, trying desperately to pull herself up. Already she could feel the blood rushing to her head, making her feel sick and dizzy. Trying to swing up, she got a grasp on her ankle, trying to pull at the rope, but only finding that it was too tight. Still crying, she closed her eyes, unsure of what else she could do, but opened them when she heard a soft British accent behind her.

"From the racket, I'm assuming someone's got caught in one of Argent's little traps." There was a rustle and a thump, the sound of a metal stick hitting the leaves and dirt of the woods, and she saw a man in dark glasses approaching, a woman a few steps behind him.

"Oh Deuc, you're never gonna believe who it is - kinda ironic, in fact." The other woman smirked, and moved closer, grabbing Allison's jaw around her hand, and Allison panicked, seeing the red bleed into her eyes. "You'll like this surprise, I promise."

"Smells... a little of the Hales. A little of hunters, too. How about you stop with the suspense, Kali, and tell me?" The man was getting irritable, and one look at the female Alpha told her that that was exactly what she was aiming for.

"Argent's daughter." Kali smirked, locking eyes with Allison, before reaching up, slicing a claw through the rope, and grabbing her before she could hit the floor. She kept her arm wrapped around Allison's waist, pinning her against her own body, her claws sprouting out of her nails effortlessly. "Can you smell that fear, Deuc? She's terrified."

"I can smell it. Probably the same scent Talia had when she realised she was going to die." The man moved closer, and Allison struggled pathetically, while Kali held on tighter.

"Definitely the same scent I had when her grandfather blinded me."

"I-I... I'm sorry..." She stuttered out, feeling the claws resting against her throat. "I didn't... My dad didn't tell me anything about werewolves, I swear, whatevers happened, I... I didn't do it, I promise, I just want to go home, please...."

"Why? The Hales can barely go home." Kali's eyes burned into Allison's own, and she pressed the claws to her throat harder.

"Talia kept control of this town... kept the balance. She would do nothing but want to work with you hunters, and this is how your kind repay her? By burning her to ashes?" There was pain in Deuc's voice, and Allison swallowed hard.

"I-I... You can't hurt me. Derek... He has a deal. A treaty. If I get hurt...."

"If you get hurt by him, you mean?" Chuckled Kali. "Anyone can have an accident kid... Just one quick slice across the throat, and--" Kali turned her head as she heard a growl from behind her, spinning herself and Allison around, and causing Allison to gasp. Derek stood there, not looking the way she'd seen him so far, though. His features were twisted into something non-human, his shirt was off, and his eyes bright red, claws ready to attack.

"Step away from the girl, Kali. No-one needs to get hurt."

"You'd protect a bitch who killed your mother, Derek? It's no surprise you were never supposed to be the Alpha. You don't have the guts."

"What I have are my mothers orders, and if you want to respect those, you'll step away from her." Derek moved closer, his growl getting louder, and he was almost in Kali's face by now. "She is my property."

"We're not going to play your little games, Derek. We kill you, we kill the girl, or we kill both of you, and then this whole mess goes away. Redemption and revenge is key here. You fight us, we'll retaliate. And your mother isn't here to hold your hand."

Allison watched Derek carefully as he paused, staring at Kali and Allison, then back at Deucalion in turn, before he pounced towards the older man. Kali, seeing the attack coming, threw Allison to one side, jumping onto Derek's back and digging her claws into it, calling the Hale to roar in anger, thrashing around to try and pull her off, but her claws were still embeded in his skin, holding on tightly. Deculion meanwhile had shifted into a hideous looking creature, something more terrifying than Allison had seen in her worst nightmares, and he was slashing at Derek's front, getting hit from the occasional swipe of Derek's own claws. The smell of blood was in the air, and Allison knew she should run, but she couldn't. Derek had jumped in to save her, and regardless of what he was, how dangerous he could be, and how wrong it was how he was treating her, she couldn't disregard that.

"You're going to kill him, stop! How will killing more people help anything?!" She cried out as Kali finally released his back, Derek slumping forward to the floor. Deucalion panted as he shifted back, stumbling a little as he looked to find support with his cane.

"Next time you disrespect your mother like that, we'll make sure to end the Hale line permanently." He said, lifting his arm up slightly, and allowing Kali to take it, the two walking away calmly, as though nothing happened. Within seconds, Allison rushed over to him, even as he was pulling himself to his feet.

"What do you want?" He growled, glaring at her. She ignored the attitude, pulling his arm around her neck. She could feel the blood seeping into her shirt, but she ignored it.

"You want to believe my family are monsters? I want to show you we're not." She panted, taking as much weight as she could, and pulling him in the direction of his house.

By the time they reached the lounge, where Allison dropped him into a worn couch, Derek was getting frustrated with the attention.

"It'll heal, Allison, just slowly. Just stop." He grumbled, as she re-entered the room carrying a bowl of water, and a rag.

"You saved me back there - you didn't need to, and you still did." She said softly, wetting the cloth and dabbing it onto his injuries, moving away slightly when he hissed in pain.

"You could've let Isaac kill me, you know. Him and Erica. But you didn't. Why's that?"

"Does it matter?" He snapped, glaring at her, but she still stood her ground, swallowing hard, trying to look unaffected.

"Yes. It does." He stared at her, then rolled his eyes. _'Argents always think they're entitled to know everything'_ he found himself thinking, flinching again as another wound was touched, and sighing heavily.

"... For multiple reasons. Contrary to what you and your family think, my mother never took innocent lives. None of my pack would. And even if you aren't innocent... I don't want that to weigh on Isaac's conscience." He paused, trying to find the right words to use to explain Isaac, knowing he didn't want to be treated like a victim. "He was given the bite because my mother justified that we could be a better family to him than his father. He didn't deserve a son like Isaac. No one who hurts their child does." Allison looked down, but nodded slightly, understanding a little of what Derek meant, and while that didn't excuse what Isaac said to her, she at least knew why his grief was manifesting in the way it was.

"... Kate's always just been my aunt Kate to me. Would take me shopping, buy me makeup, listen to me talking about boys." She said quietly, watching as the wound she'd just finished cleaning gradually grew smaller and smaller - the gash could've just as easily been a papercut by now. "We're not... monsters. We're just a normal family. My dad's overprotective, my mom's strict..."

"So were mine." He answered gravely, looking at her sideways, and finally snatching the wet rag from her, frustrated by her constant use. Her words. Trying to pardon her family for their wrongdoings. Trying not to think of how Cora would throw peas at people at the dinner table until she was twelve, how Laura would lecture him about going into her room and snooping in her diary, or how his father would take him for days out, just the two of them, hiking or fishing. "You're next in line to be your family's leader. You know that, right?"

"... And if I was, I wouldn't do things the wrong way." She said softly, standing up and taking a step back, sensing that he didn't want to be around her any more. "But I'm not going to be, because I'm here. I don't want to be. I'm not a hunter. I'm just... a teenage girl." She paused, before laughing humorlessly. "One with no high school diploma, or life choices available to her, but still - not a hunter." She dried her hands on her jeans, moving towards the cellar door. "... May I go to bed? I'm exhausted." Derek pinched the bridge of his nose, before standing up and walking over to her. He was going to regret this, but he needed to see things from her point of view. Yes, the agreement made her his property, but the girl had every opportunity to run away, and she hadn't. Maybe she was just as much a victim of her family as he was.

"I'll drag the mattress upstairs. The room you cleaned today should fit it." It had been a guest room, one he had no emotional ties with, so he'd allow it. "Locking you up like an animal isn't practical. You still stay in this house, and you still do as I tell you. Is that clear? This isn't a free pass to run away, or do as you please. You do, I'll still slit your throat." He listened as her heart skipped a beat, and she nodded. "Maybe over time if you can earn more freedom, that can happen. But not right now."

"... Thank you." She muttered, looking down. "I won't... let you down or anything."

"You'd better not." He grumbled. "Cook me something quick for dinner while I get this done. Now go."


	6. Chapter 6

"Derek, where are you? Lunch is ready." Allison called upstairs from the kitchen, knowing the scent of the turkey sandwiches had to be drifting upstairs, and wiping her hands on her sides, taking the food over to the table, hovering by the counter. After three weeks of intense cleaning, the rooms were clear, now it was down to Derek to assess the structual damage, and see exactly what could be done with the house. There'd already been people from the county coming by to assess the damage, their phonecall forcing Derek to hide Allison in an underground tunnel until they left, not wanting to try and explain why a teenage girl was living in a decrepit house. They'd given him a few weeks to provide proof that this wasn't a dangerous house, that it shouldn't be torn down, so Derek had been busy, leaving Allison to trail around behind him, or at least try and find her own ways to be useful. Whenever the pack came by, she hid away in the basement again, afraid of seeing Isaac or Erica, and not wanting to see the awkwardness in Scott at seeing her like that.

"Thanks." He muttered, sitting at the table and taking his first bite of the sandwich, raising his eyebrow at how she was standing there, awkwardly. It irritated him, and he rolled his eyes. "Last time I checked, I didn't ban you from sitting down, Argent." He snapped, kicking the chair opposite him out. In reality, he didn't want to see her. Not today. He'd woke up knowing what day it was, and had been hoping to spend it on his own until he caught Allison's scent, and remembered he was never alone in this house. Always stuck with an Argent. Always stuck with the constant reminder.

"... Didn't think you'd want to sit with me." She explained, sitting at last, her own sandwich in front of her - cheese and pickle, using the top of the bread that she knew Derek didn't like, just so it didn't go to waste. Derek raised his eyebrows at her, before shaking his head, looking down at his food instead. "I can make you something else, if you don't want that?"

"Argent, shut up. It's fine." He muttered, staring at her. "What is your problem?"

"I... I don't have a problem?" Her eyes widened, scared about what she possibly could've done wrong. "I... I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, just don't be so...." He growled, suddenly overcome with frustration, and he threw the plate, watching it smash against the wall. Allison yelped and jumped up, running to clean it up. "Just leave it!" He snapped, and Allison stared at him, wide eyed.

"What is wrong with you today?!" She yelled, backing away slightly. "I'm doing everything you want! We've been fine the last few weeks!" She turned her head, hearing a car pulling up outside, and she lowered her voice. "... Can I go down to the basement again, please?" She lowered her head too, and Derek felt a slight twinge of guilt. He quickly pushed it aside, telling himself her feelings didn't matter, and moved past her to pick up the broken glass.

"I think that's for the best, don't you?" He said firmly, keeping his back to her as she moved past him to the basement, shutting the door of it behind her, before he threw the shards in the bin, and answered the door.

 

As Derek expected, the rest of the pack were in just as much of a sombre mood. He spied the dry blood on Isaac's knuckles, the unruliness of Erica's hair, Boyd constantly fussing over her, and looked to Scott, who just shrugged.

"We all got out of school early... Didn't feel right to be there today." He muttered, leading the others through to the lounge, Derek fast on their heels. Derek watched as they sat on the couch, Scott sitting on the floor to give the others the extra space, and he clapped a hand on the Alpha's back.

"Mom would be pleased you were all here for her birthday." He said, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice, and instead just lowered his head. "Sorry I don't have anything to offer you to eat... I wasn't expecting guests, and she won't come out of the basement with you around." He wouldn't say her name around them. Not wanting to cause anger or awkwardness.

"Does she know?" Scott asked, hesitantly. "I mean... You must've told her, right?"

"She doesn't need to know." Derek shrugged. Talking about family was hard enough around the pack, let alone with the very person whose family caused how they were all feeling. Caused his mother to not be there on her birthday. "She understands I'm in a bad mood, and that's all that matters."

"Guess that has something to do with the broken plate we heard, huh?" Said Boyd, looking up. "You or her?"

"Me. She was irritating me." Derek said, shrugging, already having decided that his reaction was completely justified.

"I'm gonna... go check on her." Scott said. "I kinda... brought some things for her anyway. School papers and stuff, Stiles just... thought it'd give her something to do when she isn't helping you." He shrugged, standing up. "I mean... that's okay, right? I know it's kinda... your call."

"I wouldn't if I were you. Let her die from boredom." Quipped Isaac, who had an arm protectively around Erica, while her feet curled up in Boyd's lap. Scott sighed, and looked at Derek again, who rolled his eyes.

"So long as it keeps her out of my way sometimes, fine." He said, watching Scott as he walked out of the room. Glancing at the other three betas, he sighed. "Guess I should play the good host and get you guys something to eat anyway."

“We could always order pizza? I’m sure they won’t have any problem delivering it to the abandoned, burnt down house in the woods.” Said Isaac, raising his eyebrows, hopeful. Derek just stared at him, humorless, and Isaac shrugged, looking away at Erica and Boyd again. “… Cold turkey sandwiches it is.” As Derek walked out of the room, he heard Boyd’s hand connecting with the back of Isaac’s head, and smirked slightly. Standing in the middle of the kitchen, grabbing the cold meat and bread from the fridge, he tried to pretend he wasn’t listening, really he did. But the sound of voices naturally drifted into the room from the basement, and he paused what he was doing to listen to them.

 

Allison had been lying on her mattress, attempting to get some sleep, not sure how long she'd be down there, when she heard the door to the basement open and she jumped, afraid of it being Isaac to hurt her, or even just Derek to yell at her some more.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, it's me." Allison's shoulders relaxed when she heard Scott's voice, calming down completely as he came closer, and she could make out his features. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you..."

"I didn't mean to jump, sorry." She smiled faintly, looking down. It was the first time they'd been able to talk since everything happened and Allison's life turned upside down, and it was as uncomfortable as she'd expected. Though they'd never been an item, they'd definitely been close. "So... you're a werewolf."

"Yeah... surprise?" He said, laughing awkwardly. "It's not... I mean I didn't keep it from you on purpose. I just didn't want you to be scared. Or think I was crazy."

"Honestly? I wouldn't have believed you, so it's fine." She smiled, squeezing his hand. "I'm... sorry about Cora, in that case. I know I said it before, but... She was your pack. It must hurt." She thought back to the day that Isaac pulled him away from Cora's locker, everything slipping into place and making sense now. While she and Isaac didn't see eye to eye, being around Derek for as long as she had, she could understand why they needed to spend time together - they needed to mourn because no one else understood what they were going through.

"That's kind of why we're here today, but... Pretend I didn't say that, I don't need Derek yelling at me." Allison laughed, knowing that went for both of them, but Scott carried on talking. "I just wanted to bring you these..." From his bag, he pulled out a pile of books, placing them on the floor next to Allison, and she frowned. "Hey don't worry, they're not mine, Stiles grabbed them from the teacher's lounge."

“You don’t need to bring me anything, Scott, its fine.” She muttered, sighing. “I don’t… I mean, none of it’s important.”

“Hey, it’s fine, it’s just… books and stuff we’re reading in class, I figured that if anything changes, and you can go back to school… Well, I know you hated being held back before.” There was some shuffling as Scott sat down. “Are you… Okay? I know Derek can be a little…”

“Monstrous?” Allison asked, laughing sadly. “I… It doesn’t matter, Scott. This is my life now. Then when Derek gets bored of me, or my family do something to provoke him… I guess I’ll be dead.”

“Allison—“

“No, Scott, it’s… okay.” Allison paused, collecting herself, before she sniffed, clearly losing the fight to not cry – despite her words, her heartbeat said everything there was to say – she didn’t think it was okay. She didn't want to die. “I miss my family, okay? I miss them so much, but I can’t tell him that because… well, what family does he have left? What right do I have to miss my family when mine are alive and his aren’t? How can I be so… so selfish to want that?”

“Allison, it's not selfish to want your family. It’s not the same. What happened… yeah, it sucks, it hurts a _lot,_ trust me. But… I know you had nothing to do with it. I know this isn’t fair on you, I know Erica and Isaac are being unreasonable, but… I know it isn’t your fault.”

“And Derek?” Scott didn’t answer at first, and Allison laughed bitterly. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”

“Derek’s… hurting. But he isn’t the guy you think he is, much as he’d hate me to say that. He won’t tell you he’s hurting, he doesn’t even talk to us about it, and we’re his pack. The only difference is we can feel it and you can’t. But… He isn’t a monster, Allison. I promise. And things’ll get better eventually, I’m sure of it.”

“Well… we’ll see, but I can’t say I believe you right now.” She sighed again, and there was some shuffling as Scott stood up. “You should go back to the others, I don’t want anyone thinking I’m taking you away from… the pack or… whatever. I don’t really know how these things work. But… thanks for these.”

“Any time.” He kissed her on the cheek, making her blush, before heading back up the stairs.

 

Derek quickly turned his back as Scott emerged from the basement, shutting the door behind him.

“Those are for us? Thanks, Derek.”

“Just don’t eat them all at once, I’m not made of money.” He muttered, glancing up at Scott, who was staring at him. “Got something to say, McCall?”

“No… pretty sure I already said it.” Scott glanced at the basement door, then took the food through to the others. Derek sighed, and followed behind him. He hated that Scott knew he'd be listening in, almost as much as he hated when the kid was right.


	7. Chapter 7

When Allison stirred the next morning, she could’ve sworn she smelt the scent of bacon wafting up the stairs, forcing her to sit up in confusion, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. After the pack had left the day before, Allison had silently made Derek some dinner, before recovering the books Scott gave her from the basement, and going up to her room, careful not to speak to him at all, in case he lashed out again. She still didn’t know what she’d done to cause him to act the way he did, and she couldn’t believe Scott – how could he not see what Derek was like, when she lived with him every day? Now fully awake, the smell only got stronger, and hesitantly she got out of bed, slipping on her shoes, and making her way down the stairs.

As she entered the kitchen, the smell only got stronger, and she saw Derek standing there, bacon sizzling in a pan on the stove, and a small stack of pancakes on the counter, a pot of maple syrup lying next to it.

“Derek?” She asked, furrowing her brow. “What are you doing?” Had she woke up late, and he was doing this because he was mad at her? A part of her didn’t want to ask.

“Breakfast.” He shrugged, motioning down at the pan, as if it wasn’t obvious enough. “I can’t take credit for the pancakes, I got them from the diner in town, but hopefully they should still be warm.” He looked at her, seeing her still standing in the doorway. “Or I can just eat them myself and you can starve.”

“They’re for me?” Allison’s eyes widened a little, and she hurried into the room, sitting down at the small table before he could change his mind, pulling the small stack towards herself. Derek moved the pan over, emptying the bacon on top of the pancakes, before sitting opposite her, just watching her. Allison caught his eye, before nervously looking away, biting her lip. “Thank you.”

“It’s just breakfast.” He shrugged, though he was pleased she appreciated the sentiment.

“It’s not poisoned?” She asked, raising her eyebrows, and Derek rolled his eyes, picking up a piece of bacon from the top of the pile, and eating it, keeping his eyes on her as he chewed, before swallowing it. “How do I know you’re not just… immune to the poison?”

“I’m not immune to poison. In fact, there’s plenty that are mildly poisonous to you, but lethal to us.”

“Like what?”

“Like ones that I won’t be telling you, because I don’t plan on just telling someone how to kill me.” He raised his eyebrows, both frustrated and amused that she asked at the same time. “There is a plant. But my mother ensured the human members of the pack scoured the entire forest to make sure there was none we could come across, or that hunters could find. Then she had it incinerated.” He was so comfortable with the conversation, he almost forgot he’d mentioned his mother. Almost.

 

“Just eat the food, Argent.” At last she looked down at the plate and gave in, slipping a piece of bacon into her mouth. He watched her eat for a few minutes, trying to work out what to say next, or how to bring the subject up. A large part of him still didn’t want to, just wanted to carry on things the way they were, but the conversation he’d overheard the day before still played on his mind, and of course, the knowing look Scott had given him after he’d left the cellar. He knew he couldn’t leave things like that, as much as he loathed it. “When you’re done with that, you can use my phone to call your father.”

 

The bacon Allison was chewing nearly fell out of her mouth as it gaped open, in shock, and Derek tried hard to supress a smirk. She wasn’t sure where this had come from, why Derek was being so nice all of a sudden, and she didn’t want to push her luck.

“What?” She asked, lowering her fork. “But… I thought I couldn’t…”

“It’s one phone call.” Derek explained, as he watched Allison slowly continue to eat, her eyes occasionally glancing up at him. “It was… unreasonable of me, to think that it was fair for you to have no contact with anyone. It’s not how my mother would’ve wanted things handled.” He took a slow exhale through his nose, glancing away. His mother wouldn’t hold someone else responsible for a crime they didn’t commit, and Allison had shown time and time again that she had no idea of the supernatural world, let alone how to be a hunter. Punishing her might have made him feel better, but it did nothing to help the situation. Didn’t bring his family back. Taking hers away from her just meant another person was suffering.

“I…. Thank you, Derek.” She muttered, looking away. “I’m… sorry. For… whatever was wrong yesterday.”

“It’s forgotten, and we won’t speak about it again.” He shrugged, standing up when she’d finished her food, putting the plate in the sink. Shoving his hand into his pocket, he pulled out his cell phone, looking at it with some unease. “Understand, there are still some… rules.”

“I’ll follow them, anything, just… I want to make sure my mom and dad are okay, that’s all.”

“You talk with them with me in the room. If I get any hint that you’re speaking in code, or trying to pass information onto them regarding me and my pack, and I’ll end the call.”

“Okay.”

“Good. And you don’t mention the members of my pack.” Derek wasn’t sure of exactly how much Kate knew about the number of people in the pack, so keeping the teen’s names out of the conversation was best for their safety. “Break either of these rules, and you understand what’ll happen to you.”

“I know.” She nodded, biting her lip. “… Well? Can I?” Derek hesitated, before nodding, passing the phone over, and noted the speed of which the girl dialled the number. He could hear the dial tone, and sat back down as he waited for someone to pick up. He wondered bitterly if he could control himself if the next voice he heard was Kate’s.

 

Allison anxiously bit her lip, almost jumping when she heard the click of someone picking the phone up.

“Hello?” The groggy voice of her dad came through, and she almost teared up, not having spoken to him in a little over a month.

“Dad, it’s me… It’s Allison.” She smiled through the phone.

“Allison? What are you doing calling here?”

“I just…. Wanted to hear your voice, I guess, and Derek told me I could talk—“

“Wait, _Derek?_ ” Her father’s voice suddenly sounded a lot firmer. “Allison, what are you talking about? You left with Kate, we gave you strict instructions to stay close to her.”

“Dad, it’s okay, I’m fine, I talked to Kate, I know what Derek is, I had to do this for her, I couldn’t just leave her… She was scared, and—“

“Put Derek on.” He interrupted, the tone suggesting he was trying to keep himself calm.

“Dad, if you’re going to be mad at anyone, don’t be mad at him, be mad at me, I’m the one who offered myself up.”

“Sweetheart, put Derek on the line right now. Everything’s going to be okay.” Allison glanced at Derek, who nodded, taking the phone as it was handed to him. He could hear Chris breathing heavily on the other end of the line, and he glanced at Allison. He’d assumed Kate would’ve informed the family of Allison’s decision, but apparently not.

“Chris.” He said calmly, walking out of the room, and moving through to sit on the couch. “You wanted to speak to me.”

“Listen to me, you bastard.” There was a growl in the man’s voice, a quality that amused Derek slightly in how animalistic it was. “If you’ve laid one finger on my daughter—“

“I proposed a ceasefire with your family, and this was part of the deal. I can promise you that I haven’t touched a single hair on her head. Ironically, it was actually me that saved her from a werewolf attack, so more than anything, I think you owe me.”

“An attack that she wouldn’t have been involved in if I had known anything about it.” There was a pause, some crashing around as Chris moved through the house. “I want to see my daughter.”

“That wasn’t a part of the deal.”

“The deal is something I wasn’t privy to knowing the details of, and considering it concerns the safety of my daughter and you claim that she’s unharmed, I’d like to see the proof myself.” Chris paused again. “And plus, I believe you and I need to discuss the exact terms. My understanding was that she was with my sister.” Derek paused, holding back a quip about Kate, but he knew it wasn’t something that would help the current situation.

“… Then you and your wife can come and see her. So that you and I can discuss those terms.” He paused, glancing over as Allison walked into the room. “Just the two of you. No weapons. And in turn, the remainder of my pack will be told to keep their distance. Is that understood?”

“Do I have a choice?” Chris asked, sarcastically.

“Noon. I’ll see you then.” Derek said, before hanging up the phone, and slipping it back into his pocket. He turned to face Allison, seeing her standing there awkward again, a habit she seemed to have adopted. “Your parents are coming to see you.”

 

After cleaning away the breakfast things, Allison was allowed a little time to herself up in her room, to dress herself up a little, though taking a shower was difficult, but Derek promised the plumbing was next on his to-do list – he’d have called in contractors to take care of most of the structural work, but given their living situation, it was a sensitive area. But he did go with her down to the stream, turning his back as she washed up as best she could there, before they returned to the house, just in time to see a car pull up, and Allison almost bouncing with excitement.

“Can I go over and see them??” She asked, looking back at Derek, who nodded once, and watched as the girl’s eyes lit up, and she went over to her dad, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He saw the tenseness in her mother’s eyes, but she too accepted a hug, albeit a much lighter one – Allison seemed to not want to push the limits with her.

“Chris.” He said, nodding in the man’s direction, before looking at Victoria. “Mrs. Argent.”

“Glad to see you know to keep formality with me, Derek – we’re far from on first name terms.” The woman said, her tone clipped, and she glanced at Chris. “Let’s get inside and get this settled.”

“Of course – I’ll even bring you some refreshments through.” He knew he couldn’t ask Allison to do it with her parent’s present, but once they were seated, he moved through to the kitchen, keeping an ear out to make sure Allison was keeping her side of the bargain – which she seemed to be doing surprisingly well. She was asking her parents about how their respective businesses were going, keeping the topic away from herself the best she could, and as Derek stepped into the room, all three of them fell silent.

 

“I don’t believe there’s all that much to discuss.” Derek started, looking at the two, his eyes not meeting Allison’s, sure that her face right now would soften his words, when he needed to be authoritative right now. “Like it or not, a treaty was needed to be put in place to prevent any more life lost on either side – your daughter is the glue holding that treaty together. It was an arrangement discussed with your father, and agreed upon.”

“But not by us.” Victoria said, glaring. “Explain to me why I would put my daughter in a position where she was at risk?”

“With all due respect, Allison is in the safest place in my custody,” said Derek, sharply. “So long as she lives here, it’s my responsibility to see that she stays safe, to keep my side of the bargain – and I expect the same from your hunters in regards to my pack. In short – she gets hurt, you have every right to attack us. If we’re hurt, unprovoked, if your own hunters go against your so-called code, when we aren’t hunting anyone… well, Allison knows what will happen to her. Don’t you?”

“I—“ Began Allison, swallowing hard, but nodding.

“Are you threatening her?” Snapped Chris, “because if you are…”

“Dad, stop, he’s not, I promise. He’s right… I’m safe here, I’m okay here. I have some books, I can keep myself entertained. I don’t… really understand any of what’s going on, and I don’t blame you for that… I understand why you didn’t tell me. That you were trying to keep me safe, and protect me.” She smiled weakly at them both. “But… If I’m the thing stopping people from getting hurt, then I’m okay with that. Kate said it was going to be a lot scarier, but she was wrong… They’re not like that.”

“I hear you, sweetheart, but listen…” Chris moved to sit next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders. He went to speak to her, but remembering the situation, he looked up at Derek. “I’m asking your permission to teach her some basic hunting skills.” Derek laughed, shaking his head.

“Not a chance.”

“I understand why you don’t—“

“Why I don’t what, Chris? Why I don’t want another member of your family harming me? Harming my pack?”

“I never would!” Allison interrupted, standing up, tired of people talking for her – telling her what was best for her, telling her how she was going to live her life. She rubbed her face and took a deep breath, looking directly at Derek.

“My dad’s right… I need to know these things. Not because I’d hurt you, but because there are people who would hurt me. Who would try and hurt you, too. Like those werewolves you saved me from.” She kept her eyes on him, but all he was doing was staring straight back at her. “You got hurt badly, and they were going to kill me… What if they’d stopped you from coming to me? Or what if you weren’t there? Then I’d be hurt, you’d be hurt by the hunters… There’d be nothing but pain.” Derek finally looked away, and Allison let out a slow exhale, taking her seat again. At long last, he nodded.

“One session a week, for two hours, at this house, and the surrounding area. That’s the maximum I’ll allow. You telephone my cell to say when you’re on your way over, and you don’t stay longer than those two hours.” Allison knew why he needed to know, to know when to keep the pack away, but she said nothing. “Is there anything else? Otherwise, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave for the day.”

“I would like a private word with my daughter, first.” Said Victoria, standing up, and unlike her husband, she refused to take no for an answer, moving to the front door, and glancing back expectantly at Allison. Glancing at Derek to see if he was resisting, she quickly followed her outside, where Victoria held the car door open for her, closing it behind her.

 

“What’s the matter, mom?” She asked, softly, knowing Victoria Argent was rarely one for mother/daughter talks.

“I want to make sure you understand the severity of the situation – we’ll be excommunicating your aunt for even thinking about putting you in danger, let alone leading you out here willingly… manipulating you in the way she did…” There was a lot of anger in her mother’s voice, and Allison knew to let her carry on talking until she was spoken to. “You would be leader of this family when the time came, do you understand that?”

“I’m… not sure.”

“It’s something your father will teach you in time. But just know – Argent women are strong, Allison. We’re tough, we’re as sharp as a knife, and poised and ready when we need to strike. And you are no different. It’s an attitude I expect you to show at all times, especially as you’re trained.” She cupped Allison’s cheek, leaning her head in. “This is not a situation to be soft, or show weakness. You can’t give him anything to use against you. Do you understand?”

“I understand, mom.” She said softly, nodding. “I… should get back into the house though. I don’t want to give him reason to get upset, not when we’ve just worked everything out.”

“You know I’m not happy with this arrangement, right? But… I am… proud of how you handled yourself in there. Stood up for what you believed in, and… made some quite valid points.” Victoria kissed her daughter on the cheek, before leaning in and pushing the door open. “Tell your father to hurry up, I have the engine running.”

 

After her parents left, and Allison watched as the car left the preserve, she turned back to Derek, and put a hand on his shoulder.

“I know you’re probably getting tired of hearing this, but… thank you.”

“You’ve thanked me already.” He muttered, raising his eyebrows at her. “Forget it.”

“No, I’m serious… I mean, I’m still thankful you let them come over, but… You listened to them. You listened to me. And… You took what we said into consideration, and didn’t just… shout at them.” Derek rolled his eyes, and chuckled slightly.

“I’m a werewolf, I’m not an ogre.” He paused, selecting his words carefully. “I know that… that woman painted me to be a monster. But I’ve tried to reassure you plenty, Allison – you do as I ask, and you aren’t at risk. And I meant what I said… you’re safe here.”

“… I feel safe here. Protected.” Allison blushed slightly, and moved over, wrapping her arms around him. Derek flinched, but his arms wrapped around her in return, instinctively.

“Stop being so soft, it’s uncharacteristic.” He muttered, but Allison only giggled, looking up at him. It took a second of looking into his eyes before she moved her head, just slightly, but enough to catch his lips, taking him by surprise as she kissed him softly.

 

A growl in the back of his throat, Derek quickly pushed her away, the kiss almost sending an electric shock through his system. Flashbacks of the last woman he kissed…. Kissing her in this house, in this room, and the things that happened hours later…

“Go to your room!” He snapped, his eyes flashing red, and Allison’s widening in fear.

“I’m sorry! Derek, it was a stupid mistake! I didn’t mean anything by—“

“NOW!” He yelled, flipping over the couch, a movement that was more than enough to have Allison running for the stairs, slamming the door, and Derek heard her burst into tears. The almost silence of the room gave him enough time to calm down, picking up the couch as he thought.

 

Not so much about the kiss. But about how her heart skipped a beat as she said it didn’t mean anything. And that was the hardest thing for him to accept.


	8. Chapter 8

After the kiss, it seemed like a natural thing for Allison and Derek to keep out of each other's way, their only communication being when Derek would tell her if people were coming over to check the house, and only so as to warn her to hide in the basement until they'd left. The house was gradually coming together, the structure secure, and most of the rooms cleared of soot and ash thanks to Allison's dilligent work, something she did without even being asked. She needed to keep her mind busy, so she didn't think about what had happened that night, because the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to do it again.

But thankfully, Allison was kept occupied. Once a week, Chris came to see her at an arranged time, bringing with him her beloved bow and arrow, and though she didn't need much training on that or the crossbow, her more hand to hand combat was a little shaky, alongside her self defence abilities, both things Chris slowly taught her. While it would've made sense to ask Derek to help, so she could practice on a real werewolf to see if she was up to scratch, every time Chris suggested it, Allison made excuses. This day, at least, she was telling the truth when she told him that Derek was out of the house. Finally, at the end of the session, Chris threw her a bottle of water, and smirked as she caught it in a reflex.

"You're doing well." He said, smiling. "Your mother'd be proud if she could come and see you, but training has always been my forte."

"Well hopefully she'll never have to see me use these skills. Not with Derek around." She shrugged, looking down. "Have you... heard from Kate?"

"Her cell phones out of service. Assumably she's using burner phones to communicate with people, as we've tried to find out her new number, but there's no record of it." Allison nodded, taking a sip of water. The two sat in silence for a few seconds.

"Dad... What did Kate do?" She asked softly, brushing hair behind her ear. A flashback of the anger in Derek's eyes at the kiss, the rage as he flipped over the couch... Allison knew that couldn't have been her fault.

"Allison, you don't need to--"

"I'm living here, dad. I'm making up for what she did. I deserve to know exactly what that was." She moved to stand opposite her dad, hugging herself. "Well?"

"... Kate seduced Derek." Chris said, carefully. "Made him believe they were something special, and once he'd given her all the information she needed about the house, the pack, the surrounding area..." Chris shrugged, shaking his head. "Well... you know the rest of the details." Allison stared, wide eyed and shocked, hardly believing Kate was capable of that, and instantly feeling bad for how she must've made Derek feel. But talking to her dad about kissing someone, regardless of who it was, still felt wrong, so she quickly nodded, just accepting what she was told.

"You... should leave. He's due home soon, and I need to start on dinner."

"I understand." Chris sighed, kissing her forehead. "How about next time I bring take out for you both, so you get the night off cooking?"

"I haven't had Chinese in forever, so I say yes." She giggled, wrapping her arms around her dad.

 

As Derek entered the house, he could smell the pasta sauce almost ready to serve, and going into the kitchen he saw Allison hard at work, sitting down rather than announcing his presence. She seemed to have realised he was there though, dishing up his food, and placing it in front of him without a word, before she sat opposite with her own food.

"Thank you." He said, awkwardly, before he started to eat.

"S'okay." Allison muttered, looking down at her bowl. As much as Derek wanted to ask her what was wrong, he resisted. 'Whatevers wrong with an Argent, it doesn't matter to you' he told himself, finishing his bowl, and pushing it away from him. He saw Allison had barely touched her own, and he quipped an eyebrow.

"I'm going to assume you're not eating because you poisoned mine, unless you tell me what's wrong." Allison fiddled with her fingers, before standing up.

"I... wanted to talk. About that kiss." Derek rolled his eyes, standing up too, and taking his bowl over to the sink.

"You can finish your meal in your room, I have things to do."

"Derek, please. I lied that night, and you know I lied! You know it meant something to me."

"And if you don't shut up, you'll know exactly how much I meant my threat of ripping your throat out for disobeying me." He growled, but looking at Allison, he saw there was no fear in her eyes for once, and he cursed himself for letting her around her family, for letting them put that spark in her.

"I'm not Kate, Derek. I didn't kiss you to use you. I didn't kiss you to hurt you, I kissed you because I wanted to."

"And what the fuck do you know about the piece of crap you call your aunt?!" Derek yelled, grabbing her food bowl, and slamming it onto the floor, the sauce staining the woodwork, but he didn't care. "You know nothing, Allison, you're a pathetic little girl! Why would I want to kiss you, whether you wanted to kiss me or not!"

 

Even as Derek finished speaking, he wanted to take the words back. Listening to them over, he knew there was no reason for any of them. The mention of Kate's name had triggered an uncontrollable rage in him, one that now he'd let it out, he knew he needed to take back. Allison wasn't a little girl, far from it - she was a beautiful woman, as much as Derek hated to admit. His pride would never let him admit it, though, never allow him to say how much he truly did like the kiss. At last he realised he should say something, as Allison was still standing there, just staring at him. "Allison, I--"

"I'd... like to retire to my room now. Thanks." She whispered, glancing at him, before running for the stairs.

 

Derek knew he should go upstairs and talk to her, to calm her down, to reassure her, but he stopped himself every time he moved towards the stairs, the ghosts of the past still making him flash back to the woman that took everything. Of all the kind, loving words she said, and how he'd been a fool for not seeing through it all. And here was another Argent, saying the same sort of things, only this time, his pack was so much smaller. She had all the ammunition she needed to hurt him, to hurt what little he had left. And every second she stayed under his roof, she was learning more about the house. More ways to burn it to the ground once again, and maybe this time, she'd made sure there were no survivors.

 

Treaty or not, he needed her out of the house, even if it was just for a few days. To clear his mind, and so he could work out exactly where to go from here.

 

When Allison woke up the next morning, she saw Derek standing in her room, and she pulled her knees up to her chest, looking down, unsure of what to say. After she'd left the kitchen the night before, she'd cried for the longest time, the realisation sinking in that she was wrong. She'd thought there was something there, she thought there was more to the reason that he kept her at the house. But it turned out she was wrong - she really was just his prisoner, and that's all she'd ever be.

"Did I do something wrong?" She asked, quietly, wanting to pretend the day before hadn't happened, and Derek sighed, sitting on the end of her bed. Seeing her after they'd both rested and thought things over, he could see how innocent she truly was in all this - she didn't deserve his anger, even for a second.

"I wanted to... apologise. For snapping yesterday. And for the things I said." The words stuck in his throat, and he had to force them out, not used to apologising for anything. Least of all to an Argent. "So... I telephoned your father this morning. I've arranged for you to visit home for the day."

"Why?" She asked, sitting up and uncurling slightly. "Not... that I don't want to, but... the treaty..."

"I trust that you'll come home at the end of the day. Because that's our agreement. Because... you aren't your aunt, Allison. I need to understand that." Granted, he was partly lying, because he still wasn't convinced they were the same, but unlike him, she couldn't sense the lie. "So... Get ready. He'll be here soon."

"Derek, about last night--"

"We won't speak of it, Allison." He sighed, shaking his head. "Please." Allison hesitated, but hearing the plead in his voice, she nodded in agreement. Smiling weakly, Derek let himself out of the room.

 

As the car drove towards the house, Allison tried to think how long it'd been since she was last out of the woods - it was definitely months, and she wondered what excuse her parents had given for her not being around. As if reading her thoughts, Chris patted her on the knee, gently.

"We said that you transferred to a boarding school so that you could have some stability if we moved away again." He explained, smiling encouragingly. "Hopefully if today goes well though, you might be able to come back more permanently."

"Dad..." Allison sighed, smiling sadly. "You know that won't happen."

"But I can cross my fingers that it will?" He said, raising his eyebrows. "I'll never fully trust him, not knowing what happened between him and Kate. How a man can forgive and forget something like that happening to his entire family... "

"But he knows I'm not Kate." She said, remembering their conversation earlier in the day. "He would never hurt me, dad. I promise."

"We'll see." He replied, shrugging, before stopping the car, Allison getting out and running inside to find her mother.

 

"Sweetheart, welcome home." It wasn't her mother greeting her, and Allison froze up as her grandfather moved forward, pecking her on the cheek. "Your mother just went out to get something to cook for dinner. You're looking well, though - you're taking good care of yourself, yes?"

"Yeah..." Allison shrugged, awkwardly, not remembering a time that he was ever that interested in her wellbeing. "I'm fine."

"And Derek? He's treating you well?"

"He's not a monster, grandpa. He's nice." Allison smiled faintly, part of her already missing him.

"And his pack? Have you got to know them at all?"

"I--" Allison paused, remembering all the times Derek told her not to talk about them, and she shook her head. "I know some of them."

"Oh? From school?"

"I can't remember." Allison shrugged awkwardly now, moving through to the lounge to switch the TV on, but before she could press the remote, Gerard snatched it from her.

"Watching TVs more important than catching up with your grandfather?" He joked, sitting opposite her, the remote in his hand, almost like he was holding it ransom. "Your father tells me he's done a good job of rebuilding the house - how is it on the inside?"

"It's nice - well furnished, feels like there's new things coming every day. I like it." Allison shrugged again, an uncertainty creeping into her - that the questions were getting more and more invasive, especially considering who they were from. "I don't... really want to talk about it, if that's okay? I mean... I just want to relax." She smiled tightly, and as politely as she could, but Gerard didn't flinch.

"I'm just concerned for the safety of my granddaughter. You're the only one I have, after all. And to be trapped in a place like that..."

"I'm not!" Allison finally snapped, standing up and snatching the remote. "I'm happy there, grandpa! Derek treats me well, we get along, and I like him!" She felt herself turning red, and she looked away quickly, hoping that he wouldn't question her on exactly what she meant. "I... just.... Sorry. I just really want to watch some TV instead."

".... I see." Said Gerard calmly, before standing up, and smiling. "You'll excuse me for a minute then? I'll just go and get you something to drink, I didn't mean to upset you." Allison nodded, and relaxed her shoulders once he left the room, finally pleased to have some time to herself. He returned with some juice, but left the room soon after, leaving Allison to channel surf, wondering briefly if Derek would get a television if she suggested it to him - after all, the pack would enjoy it as much as she would, deciding she'd talk to Scott when she could to get him to help her.

 

Sipping on the juice, and comfortable on the chair, Allison soon found herself tired and heavy, fighting to keep her eyes open, not wanting to waste the time she had with her family. Telling herself that taking a few minutes to nap wouldn't be a bad thing, she allowed her eyes to close at last, confused that when she opened them, she wasn't in the lounge any more. The room felt cold, and smelt of guns, and it took her a second of looking around to realise she was in the basement. Panic rose in her, and despite still feeling lethargic, she stumbled to her feet, pulling at the door, and finding it locked.

"DAD! LET ME OUT!" She shouted, pounding on the door desperately, tears springing to her eyes. "DON'T DO THIS!"

"Can you hear her, Chris? Hear how that thing has poisoned her mind?" She could hear Gerard's voice from the other side of the door. "We need to attack, now."

"We have a treaty, Gerard."

"A treaty that is turning your daughter against her family - against her kind!" Spat Gerard. "Do you want her lying with a werewolf, Chris? Because that's what she wants to do. And you know Derek will use her mind, use her body, until he can restart the Hale line, then kill her."

"YOU'RE LYING! DAD DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!" Allison sobbed, continuing to hit the door.

"Make the call, Chris, or I will. It's not something I want to do, but for Allison, I'll do anything to keep her safe - I assumed as her father, you'd do the same." There was a long pause, and Allison continued to hit the door, beg to be let out, and at last, Chris spoke up.

"... We make this quick." He muttered. "I'm sorry Allison, Gerard is right - I just want to keep you safe."

 

And with that, they left Allison alone in the house.


	9. Chapter 9

With Allison out of the house, it had given Derek some time to think, and he knew that on a matter as important as the safety of the pack, they were exactly who he needed to talk to. He sent texts around not long after she'd left, and sure enough, it was less than half an hour later his four betas were at his door, ready to hear everything he had to say. And once they were all sat down, Derek talked things through. About whether they were safe with Allison in the house, whether they thought it was a greater threat than he was anticipating, and if they truly felt safe knowing that there was a member of a known hunting family living with their Alpha. Naturally, Scott spent the time trying to suggest all the ways that it was beneficial for them, and defending Allison, while Isaac and Erica reminded Derek how they were against the idea from day one. On asking Boyd his opinion, he simply said that it was up to Derek, and hearing that answer, he finally stood up, claiming he needed a few minutes to himself, and moved out of the house, shutting the door behind him.

Catching a scent only a few minutes later, he sighed.

 

"Scott, what part of 'I want to be alone' didn't make sense?" He asked as the boy came and sat next to him, smiling innocently.

"Got the feeling that you wanted to think some things through, and thought it'd be good to have someone to bounce ideas off of. Especially since... yknow... you and Allison are so close."

"She's part of a treaty. That's all this is. I just need to know if it's what's best for us all."

"If this was just about the treaty, and you thought she was a threat, you would've told her to leave already." Scott shrugged, moving as Derek turned his head, determined not to look at the younger wolf, but he wasn't giving up. "But you want her here... right? That's why you're trying to find someone to tell you whether she should or shouldn't stay. So you don't have to make the decision yourself." Derek stared at him, saying nothing, before he rolled his eyes.

"Why aren't you using these smarts on your schoolwork?"

"What are you, my dad?" Scott laughed, clapping a hand onto Derek's shoulder. "I just... I know she's a great girl, is all. I mean... we were friends when she was at school, I know how cool she can be... Trust me, I almost considered going there with her, but... other things got in the way." He motioned to where he'd been bit, an accident by Talia, unlike with the other three, and Derek nodded, knowingly - having fought with his own control for so long when he was younger, he could understand Scott wanting to put that ahead of romance.

"I--" Derek began, before he froze, hearing the crunch of a leaf in the distance, the roar of an engine even further, and he grabbed Scott, pulling him down as the first crossbow bolt went flying into the wood just below where he had just been standing. "Get inside! Now!" The footsteps were getting closer, and just as the two began running for the front door, a Wolfsbane smoke bomb was released, causing the both of them to start weakening rapidly, just about managing to close the door behind them, the rest of the pack running to them.

 

"What the hell is happening?!" Called Isaac, trying to help Derek stand up.

"Hunters." He muttered, trying to refocus, flashbacks already attacking his mind of the last time, of feeling so helpless - of losing everyone. Only this time, the last remaining members of his pack were here, and if he didn't get them out safely, he could truly be on his own. A projectile being shot through the window, shattering the glass caused Derek to finally pull himself together, dragging his pack up the stairs, and into a back bedroom, away from the bulk of the attack. He heard some voices shouting, Gerard and Chris were definitely there, which brought about something to mind - he wasn't hearing Allison.

"I'll kill them!" Erica yelled, shifting, but Derek put his hand on her chest, growling - if she was going to go out there, she wasn't going to go alone. He didn't want to hide, to seem like a coward, but sending people out to fight when they were outnumbered sounded like a suicide mission, too.

"Scott - you and Isaac go and find Allison. See if she can put a stop to this."

"What? Derek, are you insane?! She's one of them! She'll be out there trying to kill us like the rest of them!" Isaac yelled, glaring. "Or have you gone soft all over again?"

"Don't push me, Isaac." Derek snapped, shifting too, and watching the beta take a step back at the red eyes. "If she truly is faithful to the treaty, she'll return to put an end to this."

"And... if she's with them?" Scott asked, nervously, and Derek turned to face him.

"Then you kill her." Derek didn't want it to come to that, but it was what had to be done. She knew the house just as well as Derek did, and if she was fighting with them, she'd know exactly how to get into the heart of the house. "Go through the exit through the basement, if we're lucky, they won't know where that starts.

"Derek, I--" Isaac begun, but Scott shook his head, grabbing Isaac's arm, and ran downstairs. Taking a deep breath, Derek turned to his two remaining betas.

"We don't go out there and attack. But the second any of them step through the front door, we rip them apart before they get the chance to do that to us. Understand?" Erica frowned, but nodded. Boyd nodded too, patting Derek on the shoulder.

"We'll be alright." He reassured, and Derek nodded in response, even if he didn't believe it himself.

 

"Hello?!" Allison paced the basement, tears in her eyes, gathering her strength before charging at the door, desperate to force it open, but still it didn't move, only left her with a sharp pain in her shouldder. She was terrified about what could be happening, about whether Derek was safe. She needed to get out so that she could warn him, if it wasn't already too late. She shook her head to herself, refusing to think about that - she couldn't consider the possibility that he wasn't okay. If anything happened to him, it would be her fault, and she wouldn't forgive herself. She'd been serious when she gave him her word that she wasn't like Kate, and the idea that her actions could make him suffer again didn't bear thinking about. "Please! I'm trapped!" She called, not sure if anyone could hear her, and when her shouts were just answered with more silence, she sat down, letting out a desperate sob.

"Allison!" Her head suddenly lifted up as she heard a voice on the other side of the door - not Derek's, like she was hoping, but it was definitely familiar.

"Scott!" She replied, banging on the door, hoping to get his attention. "In the basement! The doors in the hallway!" She backed away as she heard thumping on the other side of the door, the wood splintering seconds later as Isaac crashed through, Scott poking his head in afterwards.

"Allison? Are you okay?" He asked, offering her his hand.

"We... we have to get to Derek, please... My dad, Gerard, they..."

"We know." Replied Isaac, gravely. "Derek sent us to kill you."

"If you were involved, which you're not." Scott added, holding Allison by the shoulders. "We need to get back, but... You're okay, right? Really?"

"I will be if you take me there."

"Allison, it's dangerous, if you get caught in the crossfire... You're not like us, you won't..."

"Scott." Allison shook her head, biting her lip. "If something happens to me, then I'd rather that be a reason for the fighting to stop, than for it to stop because they finally killed the pack." She shuddered at the thought, but it still stood - she needed to stop this, once and for all. Because she loved her dad. But she also loved Derek, and there had to be some way for the two to coexist, whether she got to see it or not.

"Enough with the heartfelt chats, we need to get back. Now." Isaac said firmly, and Scott looked at Allison again.

"I'll take my dad's car. He left with some other hunters." She explained, grabbing the keys from the hallway, and rushing outside.

 

Back at the house, Derek had pulled the others down to the basement after noting that Scott and Isaac had escaped successfully. The top floor had been compromised, the windows shattered, and wolfsbane smoke bombs clouded their way down the stairs, Erica blinded from the impact, and Derek and Boyd both having trouble breathing, despite their attempts to get away. Derek knew it was only a matter of time before the hunters realised their position and moved into the house to finish the job. The shouts from outside, full of orders to one another and taunts directed at him, they all echoed through Derek's mind and he closed his eyes.  
He was so, so tired of it all.

"Boyd, take Erica out the same way Scott and Isaac went." He said, his eyes still closed

"Derek, we're not leaving you..." Whimpered Erica, even as Boyd held onto her.

"You need medical assistance, and I can't give that to you." Said Derek firmly, looking at Boyd. "Get her to the hospital, and find Nurse McCall. She knows the pack, explain the circumstances to her, and tell her that Scott is safe."

"Erica's right - what are you going to do?" Boyd asked, but Derek just shook his head. He knew what he was going to do. That the hunters would breach the house, would kill him, and the Alpha title would shift to the first turned beta. And he knew Scott would do a good job, would know how to keep the three of them safe. So long as they were okay, that was all that mattered.

"Go. Now." Derek said at last, looking at Boyd. He hesitated, before he scooped up Erica, hurrying through the same passage Scott and Isaac had gone earlier. As Derek sat with his eyes closed, it felt only seconds later that he heard the crash of the front door being broken, the basement door opening, and the scent of wolfsbane growing stronger as a result. Stumbling to his feet, he locked eyes with Chris and Gerard Argent.

 

Chris kept his gun trained on Derek, as Gerard turned his head to look at several hunters that were approaching. "All of you, leave. This is our problem to deal with now. Go check that Allison hasn't hurt herself, and await instructions from either us or Victoria." Derek didn't move as he heard the thud of footsteps, and car engines retreating, keeping his eyes locked on the gun pointed at his head.

"I thought we had an arrangement." He said calmly, daring to glance up at Chris. "You've been here regularly. You know your daughter is fine."

"And had I know how much you were poisoning her mind against her kind, I would have put a stop to it." Replied Gerard, before Chris had a chance to utter a word. "I shouldn't have believed you were capable of mercy - your family were put down, how could I expect you to show respect in return?"

"I've shown nothing but respect, even to you - it's what my family taught me - what my mother taught me before she was brutally murdered." Derek's heart beat harder in his chest, and he wasn't sure what talking was going to accomplish - if they were going to kill him, he wanted it over with. His attention was taken away as he heard the roar of a car approaching, wondering if one of the hunters had disobeyed the order. But he caught familiar scents instead, running footsteps getting closer before she appeared in the clearing in front of the house.

 

"Dad! Grandpa, stop!" Sobbed Allison, taking her last few steps to stand in front of her father, to block the gun from pointing at Derek. Her bow hung at her side, her quiver hastily thrown on before exiting the house, and she panted, obviously out of breath.

"Step aside Allison. We'll talk about this back at home." Said Chris, imploringly.

"Why? So you can kill him for doing nothing wrong?! Lock me away because you think there's something wrong with me?!" She shot back, looking between him and Gerard. "I'm not a child! I know what's best for me!"

"Stockholm Syndrome." Gerard scoffed, ignoring her pleas, and looking past her at Derek. "She defends you to me, keeps secrets from her own family to protect you - what was next, Hale? Turning her? Impregnating her with more dogs?"

"Then if you were so worried about those things, perhaps you shouldn't have offered her up in the first place?"

"Allison made the decision to take Kate's place, neither of us had anything to do with it." Chris replied, and Derek chuckled, some bravado returning now that the gun had no way of reaching him - Chris wouldn't shoot his own daughter in order to hurt him, he'd seen enough of him in the past few weeks to accept that he wasn't like that.

"Is that what he told you?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "Your father never offered me your filth of a sister, Chris. I was hesitant at first, same as you, knowing that Allison never did anything wrong. But I'm sure I don't need to tell you, but Gerard can be persuasive."

"But... Kate said--"

"He's lying, Allison!" Interrupted Gerard.

"I'm not lying. I can hear his heartbeat, I  _promise_ you, he's the one lying to you." Derek knew Allison had no reason to believe him, but seeing her expression firm, he knew that she did.

"He has no reason to lie to me." She said, her voice shaking. "Why did Kate say what she said?"

"Kate said exactly what she was supposed to, Allison. Like a good hunter, something you've never showed signs that you could be." Snapped Gerard at last, and Chris turned to look at him, lowering his gun slowly.

"How could you?" He glared, dropping his gun to the floor.

"Do you think he'd have given Kate the same free reign of the house as he's given Allison? Let her see exactly how to get in, to get out, the layout, how the house was being rebuilt? She'd have gone into the basement, and never seen the light of day again. But Allison..." He smirked. "Well, she's sweetness, and light, and I hoped with a little prodding... She might give us what we need." He turned his attention back towards Allison, shaking his head. "But you just disappoint me, sweetheart. I expected more of a true Argent."

"I am not Kate. And I am not your sweetheart." She hissed, her teeth gritted, and she took slow, deliberate steps toward her former grandfather. "You disgust me, Gerard. You're nothing, and you know what I'm going to do as soon as you leave? Call the Sheriff. Tell them exactly what Kate did, everything you did to cover up for her. Intimidation. Accessory to arson and murder. And me, dad, Derek... the pack, never have to see your face around here again."

"That's the spirit, Allison. That's what a real Argent sounds like." Chuckled Gerard, and Allison gasped as she felt a sharp pain in her side, and Gerard twisted the ring dagger, before stepping back. Allison screamed out in pain, her vision almost whiting out, and she acted on autopilot, her mind not comprehending the yells and actions from either Derek or her father. Quickly she raised the gun she'd picked up from the ground, her father's, and she shot three bullets into Gerard's chest, the forth bullet missing it's aim entirely as she collapsed to the ground, her hand loosening it's grip on the gun altogether.

 

"Allison!" Derek rushed over, both the scents of blood filling the air as he pulled Allison into his lap, Chris crouching on the ground with her.

"I have to get her to the hospital, now, the blade is sharp enough to pierce, and deep enough to have caused serious damage.

"You won't get her there in time from the sound of her heartbeat." Derek said, looking at Chris. He slipped his hand into Allison's, hoping she'd squeeze it, but all she could do was stare up at him, breathing shallow. It just made Derek hold onto her tigher, swallowing hard. "I need your permission, Chris."

"What are you--"

"You know what I mean." He said, urgency in his voice. "I do it, she lives, but you know the consequences of that. And I would never do it without permission."

"I don't--" Began Chris, looking more lost than he had probably ever shown anyone, and Derek growled.

"You lose her for certain if this doesn't happen! Which would you rather, Argent? Lose her to death, or lose her to your bigoted ways? Only one of those can be changed."

".... Do it." Chris said at last, squeezing Allison's hand. "Just.... fucking do it, Derek." It didn't take any more convincing, and the wolf shifted, biting sharply into Allison's side. She squirmed, whimpering before she fell silent, her eyes closing. Chris glared at Derek, about to accuse him of doing it wrong, of murdering his daughter, but Derek shook his head, and carefully shifted back, moving again to scoop Allison up his arms.

 

"Passed out, but there's still a heartbeat. We won't know straight away. I'd suggest monitoring her at your home, but forgive me if I don't trust a potential beta in the house of a hunter." Despite the fact they were working together right now, Derek knew that Chris and Victoria were both hunters. and even if they could change their ways, it wouldn't be overnight. Chris seemed to understand this, and just nodded.

"I think given that you have a dead body outside your front door, for both of you, it's best if you get out of town until things have settled down." He explained, looking down. "I expect her to call me as soon as she wakes up though, you understand."

"I don't think I could stop her." Derek shrugged, cradling the girl close to him. "... Thank you. For trusting me."

"Do I have much choice?" Chris sighed, pushing a hand through his hair, and moving in to kiss his sleeping daughter on the forehead. "Go. Now."

 

Derek glanced up, his eyes full of worry as he heard a groan from the bed, and sat on the edge of it as Allison's eyes started to flicker. They'd gotten to the motel late last night, and she'd slept through, despite Derek leaving to pick her up some things to eat when she woke up. He watched as she felt the sheets around her, squinting at the light coming through the window, slowly realising this wasn't the house, nor was it her parent's house.

"D-Der--" She muttered, and he shuffled a little closer, a hand stroking her hair.

"Go back to sleep if you need to." He said, his voice soft. "I was... so scared you weren't going to wake up."

"'M fine..." She muttered, slowly pulling herself to sit up. Derek shifted so that she could lean on him, fingers still moving comfortingly through her hair.

"Gerard stabbed you, your father gave permission for you to have the bite."

"You mean I... I'm..." She began, and Derek moved the bed sheet out the way to examine the stab wound, blood on the bed sheet as it healed, but the wound was already significantly smaller, and she didn't appear to be in pain. He could smell the fear in her scent, and covered her up again, resuming his comforting motions. "Ally, you're going to be okay, I'm going to help you, I'm not going to leave you, and once things have cleared up at home, we'll go back, and you can learn alongside the rest of the pack."

"You don't have to do that, Derek. I'll... take care of myself."

"You're my beta. And even if you weren't, I can't.... I don't want you to go through this alone. I want to be there." His voice was full of nerves, and he cleared his throat. "Obviously, you can... return home, if you think you'll be safe. I wouldn't stop you." It was obvious that with their supposed bargaining deal in tatters, he had no right to expect Allison to stay with him.

"I can't leave you there alone." She frowned, nuzzling against him, and Derek smiled faintly, nuzzling back. "You'll go back to being all... grumpy."

"How could I ever be grumpy with you in my life?" He asked, and Allison blushed. "I'm... also sorry. For not trusting you as much as I should. For... pushing you away. Rejecting the kiss." Allison shook her head at him, and leant her head up, kissing him softly on the lips, before curling back into his arms again.

"There's time for us to talk about that. When I'm better. Stronger. And not wanting to take another nap." He chuckled as she put her head on his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. It felt like she'd always belonged there. Safe, comforted, and loved.


End file.
